1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a compactly constructed air conditioning apparatus for cars.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, the air conditioning apparatus for cars has been in such a construction and layout in the vehicle cabin as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing. That is to say, in FIG. 1, a fan unit 4 having internal and external air inlet ports, a damper 8a, and an air intake fan 1; a cooling unit 5 having a heat-exchanger 2 for cooling and a casing; and a warming unit 6 having a heat-exchanger 3 for warming, an air mixing damper 8b, an air mixing chamber a, and dampers 8c, 8d and 8e, each being provided at its corresponding air blow-off port are arranged in sequence from the side of the next-to-driver's seat. And, these units 4, 5 and 6 are connected one another with ducts 7a and 7b so that they may be in the arrangement and construction in the vehicle cabin as shown in FIG. 2.
According to such arrangement and construction as mentioned above, the fan unit 4 is disposed to the extreme side of the vehicle body beyond the next-to-driver's seat, and the warming unit 6 is arranged substantially at the center of the vehicle cabin. That is, all these units are layed out beneath the instrument panel of the vehicle, so that one half of the instrument panel from the center part of the vehicle cabin to the side of the next-to-driver's seat is inevitably occupied by the air conditioning apparatus. In such construction of the conventional air conditioning apparatus, living comfortableness of the next-to-driver's seat is inevitably sacrified, which gives considerable impact on the shape of the instrument panel. Further, the air course of the intake air becomes longer to cause an increase in the pressure loss. Furthermore, such conventional air conditioning apparatus has many points for fitting the fan unit 4, the cooling unit 5, and the warming unit 6 in the narrow, limited space underneath the instrument panel in the vehicle cabin, which inevitably makes the fitting work to be troublesome and complicated. Moreover, in joining these units to one another, connecting bands are necessary, for which an additional space needs to be provided, and various other disadvantages.